Comparison

Neuroshima Hex vs HardBack

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Neuroshima Hex

Engage in tactical warfare in a post-apocalyptic world. Choose from four unique factions and battle opponents in a fast-paced, strategic game. Play solo against AI or challenge others in asynchronous multiplayer.

Highlights
  • 4 unique factions with distinct strategies
  • Single-player vs AI
  • Asynchronous cross-platform multiplayer
  • 3 AI difficulty levels
  • In-game tutorial and manual
  • Based on the tabletop board game
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Control an army struggling for survival in the post-apocalyptic world. Choose one of the 4 unique factions—Moloch, Borgo, The Outpost, The Hegemony—and defeat your opponent in tactical warfare. Play solo against an AI opponent or against a human player in an asynchronous cross-platform multiplayer mode. Prove that you have what it takes to survive: March with the machines of Moloch, leading its army toward setting the new world order. Become Borgo and unite the forces of the mutants who spread terror in the wastelands. Lead The Outpost, humanity's last and only hope, and try to beat the machines in against-the-odds guerrilla warfare. Be the boss of The Hegemony, a land of gangers uncaring about the fate of others, living only for violence and their mad entertainment. Neuroshima Hex is a fast paced, tactical game for 1 or 2 players based on the well known tabletop board game by the same name. The game has been published in 8 languages and enjoyed by fans all over the world. Throughout the years, it has been steadily developed by Portal Games, and now offers as many as 19 different armies. In May 2007 Neuroshima Hex was awarded a special jury distinction for the Best Polish Designer Game published in 2006. FEATURES - Official Neuroshima Hex game with original artwork - 4 different armies with unique strategies (other armies will be made available for purchase with future updates of the app) - For 1 or 2 players - Asynchronous cross-platform multiplayer mode - 3 AI difficulty levels - In-game tutorial & manual - Tons of gameplay - Easy to learn, hard to master Previous version of the Neuroshima Hex app gained a lot of recognition: AWARDS: "iOS Game of the Year" Game Shark "Best Card/Board Game - Runner Up" TouchGen PRESS QUOTES: "With great production values the board game has been translated to perfection." TouchGen (9/10, Editor's Choice) "Would I Buy Again: Absolutely." What's On iPhone (9/10) "Neuroshima Hex is a board game that almost seems like it was destined for the App Store […]" App Spy (4/5) "Neuroshima Hex is hard not to recommend" Games Uncovered (Grade: 'Great') "Creative game world; deep strategy" Slide To Play (3/4) "It's a deeply satisfying game that forces you to have a tactical mind in order to win, and it's incredibly fulfilling when you do." GameZebo (4/5)

About

HardBack

Build a deck of letters to craft words and earn prestige in this unique word game. Specialize in genres, push your luck for extra cards, and race to become a celebrated 19th-century novelist. Challenge AI opponents or play with friends.

Highlights
  • Deck-building with letter cards
  • Genre specialization for bonuses
  • Push-your-luck card drawing
  • Hotseat and online multiplayer
  • AI opponents
  • Hardcore mode with no word repeats
Features
Read full description

Hardback is a deck-building word game, a prequel to Paperback. As an aspiring 19th-century novelist, you work to pen your next masterpiece, earning prestige along the way. Specialize your deck in certain genres to exploit card combinations, and press your luck to draw extra cards — but make sure you can still string a word together! Players build a deck of letters with various powers and race to 60 fame points to win. Features: 1-5 player hotseat and online async 3 levels of computer opponents to challenge you. Gameplay No wilds in your deck - any card can be wild. Push your luck for more cards with the Ink system. Match genre colors to gain bonus abilities on your cards. Fight over the coveted award cards. Timeless Classic cards stay in play, until someone uses them. New hardcore mode - can't repeat a word!

Screenshots

Neuroshima Hex4 screens
HardBack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: HardBack at 3.8 against Neuroshima Hex's 2.9. HardBack also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and price ($4.99 vs $6.99). Neuroshima Hex's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 54%) and chart position (#124 vs unranked). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Neuroshima Hex costs $6.99 and HardBack $4.99 up front. Neuroshima Hex sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. HardBack asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HardBack holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 72 and 39 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Neuroshima Hex's written reviews are positive against 54% of HardBack's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Neuroshima Hex ships an update every 3 weeks, HardBack every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Neuroshima Hex versus HardBack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeuroshima HexHardBack
Price$6.99$4.99 — better
Rating2.9 (72 ratings)3.8 (39 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better53.7% of reviews
Number of ratings72 — better39
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#124 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size207 MB281 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPortal GamesFowers Games Inc.

Customer experience

Neuroshima Hex

All ratings72 ratings
Positive45.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative48.6%
Written reviews1,002 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative18.7%

HardBack

All ratings39 ratings
Positive64.1%
Neutral12.8%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive53.7%
Neutral12.2%
Negative34.1%

Bugs and requests

Neuroshima Hex

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Inability to discard tiles
  • Incorrect scoring for certain damage
  • Broken 3 and 4 player modes
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Online multiplayer
  • Campaign or story mode
  • Ability to view unit details during gameplay
  • Restore previously purchased content
  • More balanced factions
Show 1 more
  • Faster AI turns

HardBack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Neuroshima Hex

One-time10
  • New York$4.99
  • Smart$4.99
  • Vegas$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Steel Police$4.99
  • Mississippi$4.99
  • Neojungle$4.99
  • Dancer$4.99
  • Sharrash$4.99
  • Doomsday Machine$4.99
  • The Bundle of Five Armies$29.99
None

HardBack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Neuroshima Hex free?
Neuroshima Hex costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is HardBack free?
HardBack costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Neuroshima Hex or HardBack?
HardBack is rated higher. Neuroshima Hex averages 2.9 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while HardBack averages 3.8 from 39 ratings.
Do Neuroshima Hex or HardBack have ads?
Neither Neuroshima Hex nor HardBack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Neuroshima Hex or HardBack?
Neuroshima Hex ships an update every 3 weeks, and HardBack every 2 weeks. Most recently, Neuroshima Hex was updated on September 28, 2026 and HardBack on September 24, 2026.

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